Gravenberch says Liverpool “have to start winning games” after Man City
Liverpool’s Premier League defeat to Manchester City on Sunday did not just sting because of the timing, it also sharpened the reality of what we are chasing between now and May.
Ryan Gravenberch spoke via Liverpoolfc.com after the 2-1 loss at Anfield and framed it around the one objective that has to define the run-in.
Our No.38 said: “We have to start winning games.”
That line came with a clear focus on Champions League qualification, as we are four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea and five adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United after the result.
Gravenberch added: “I’m confident. It’s a difficult position but I’m not really concerned because I know the quality we have, but we will see. We have to keep pushing still.”
That is the key tone here, because it is not denial, it is acknowledgement without panic.
Gravenberch’s Man City reaction was about momentum, not excuses
The frustrating part for us is that the game seemed to be moving in the right direction after Dominik Szoboszlai’s opener, and Gravenberch pointed to that swing.
The Dutch international said: “Disappointed, we deserved more, I think, in the second half because we played a good game. But overall, disappointed that we have not got the points.”
Gravenberch then described how Anfield felt in that spell, and why the finale was so hard to take.
Ryan Gravenberch said: “We were good in the game [after Szoboszlai’s goal]. We had a good momentum. The fans were with us, we had the power, and at the end, we concede a goal.”
That moment fed into the wider frustration around late-game mistakes this season, with Jamie Carragher calling out Alisson for the “rush of blood” that led to the penalty, describing it as another error “you cannot believe from players of that calibre”.
That is the theme of the season creeping back in, because we have too often let matches flip late, and this one did it in the most brutal way.
The numbers show why Gravenberch was central to our best spell
Gravenberch’s individual data helps explain why he spoke about momentum and control, because the the Dutchman was heavily involved in progressing the ball and competing in duels.
Here is a quick snapshot from Sofascore of the midfielder’s output against City:
| Category | Gravenberch vs Man City |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 90 |
| Sofascore rating | 7.0 |
| Touches | 63 |
| Accurate passes | 33/39 (85%) |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Carries | 17 |
| Total carrying distance | 140.7m |
| Ground duels won | 8/13 |
| Tackles (won) | 2 (1) |
| Recoveries | 6 |
| Was fouled | 5 |
Even with the late defeat, those are the profile numbers of a midfielder who was driving us forward in that stronger second-half period.
That assessment mirrors Gary Neville’s view of the contest, with the former Manchester United defender describing it as “a tough take” for Arne Slot and his players, while stressing that Liverpool were dominant for long spells in the second half despite the result.
And they match what Gravenberch described about coming out after the break.
He said: “I think the first half we didn’t have a good start, but then we went in the dressing room and said to each other, ‘We go out and give our all,’ and that’s what we did, so hopefully we can get that more [than in] the games that we have had.”
This is where the reaction now matters, because we go again quickly away at Sunderland on Wednesday, and Gravenberch has already set the expectation for the group.
We have to keep pushing, but we also have to turn that pushing into points.
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